hey i have a 93 honda prelude vtec. i am having difficulty starting up my car after it stalls randomly while driving. sometimes the car would start if i just let the car sit there for about an hour or two. it usually starts every morning. my car cranks and turnsover but no spark. i had replace the battery last week so i'm thinkin it can't be the battery or alternator because my lights work fine. when it dies there aren't any sparks coming from the ignition coil which is mounted to the left of the oil cap. i've replaced the ignition coil, but still no spark or start so i returned it. I have changed my cap and rotor less than a yr ago. i don't know but everytime i try to start the car, i smell gas. IS IT A SPARK PROBLEM OR A FUEL PROBLEM? i don't know if its the ignitor or ignition control module is that the same? yea i heard alot of people have found out that it is the icm/ignitor or whatever, but i dont kno how that can be the problem when it's located inside the distributor and the first thing the spark goes through is the ign. coil before it reaches the distributor. i need help. i cant bring it to the shop because car won't run and if it does it might stall. i just dont want to spend money on towing it.

 

igniter. go to the dealer and make SURE you get the BROWN one, NOT the black one. it is inside the distributor and is very easy to change. when you go in there, make sure you turn the engine by hand and not with the starter, when you're trying to line up the screw on the rotor. i blew my coil on my gsr by using the starter. the igniter should run anywhere from $80 - $150.

 

Yeah, sounds like your ignitor. And to answer you question, yes the ignition control module is the same thing.

 

you probably are smelling gas because of excessive cranking.. depending on how much time you have spent cranking it, you might want to put a couple squirts of oil in each cyl to protect the walls/rings since they've been washed down with fuel

 

thanks yalls for the quick response and help. so it turns out that the ignition control module needed to replace. my car is back on the streets and running again. if you guys live near me i would buy yalls a drink thanks again for the kindness.

 

happy to help. that car's not doing any good to any of us just sitting there like that.